A chorus of silver murmurs with each step. You can hear it before it enters your vision. Soft chimes of a forgotten tongue grow louder. Still, no sight of it until a glimmer of light glares in the distance, hitting your eye in pain. Distant echoes of an old tradition, the weight of small moments pressing against the fabric, threads clinging to the woven body. A hood falling over a face, a guardian draped in fortune. An impenetrable skin, their edges whispering together with each slow movement, neither fully seen nor entirely hidden – like something between past and present.
The figure stands beneath the crushing weight of tradition – 72 kilograms of cold, unyielding silver pressed against the body, each step a battle against the sheer gravity of meaning. The ten thousand coins clink and scrape, a restless choir of metallic voices resisting every motion, dragging them backwards as if the past itself refuses to let go. The figure’s arms strain under the pull of the garment, muscles trembling as they fight to lift the weight that was meant to shield them. Protection and burden, safeguard and shackle – each coin is a prayer; each link in the fabric, a thread of resistance. The heavy, low hood obscures the figure’s vision, forcing them to move by instinct alone, guided by sound, memory and the ceaseless echo of fate.
Yet they do not fall. They push forwards, step by step, their movement a quiet rebellion against the weight and the unseen forces the garment wards [DNC1] off. The garment resists, but so do they. The clash of protection and defiance rings through the air, a sound not of surrender but of struggle – of a body refusing to be crushed beneath the weight of what they carry. Each stitch is a testament to endurance, and each thread is pulled tight by hands that have known both loss and resilience. The garment was not merely constructed – it was forged and sewn together by refugee women whose fingers have mended more than fabric. Their hands, weathered by displacement yet steady with purpose, wove stories into every seam, fastening the weight of protection with quiet defiance.
They sewed through the night, the rhythmic puncture of needles through cloth merging with whispered prayers, with memories of homes left behind. With every stitch they resisted erasure: the garment is a statement of resistance. It was never meant to be worn lightly. It demands acknowledgement: the wearer does not simply don a piece of clothing; they inherit a collective struggle, a shield against unseen spiritual and worldly forces.
Fashion has long been a marker of identity, heritage and political expression. In Nazzal Studio’s What Should Have Been Home collection, fashion transcends aesthetics to become a statement against the oppression, displacement and erasure of Palestinian identity. The brand, which I founded, is rooted in Palestinian heritage and activism. It gained recognition with my graduate thesis collection, created in 2022–23, which came to symbolise Palestinian resistance after 7 October, highlighting the need for art that amplifies marginalised voices. Nazzal Studio prioritises ethical practices, collaborating with refugee women and advocating for community empowerment over mass production.
The collection’s centrepiece is a 72-kilogram garment made of ten thousand Palestinian coins sewn together by refugee women. This extraordinary piece transforms a traditional protective element into armour. Coins in Palestinian culture symbolise wealth, security and protection, dating back centuries. In Nazzal Studio’s work the garment is not just a symbol but a shield against physical and symbolic violence. The garment’s weight forces the wearer to struggle to move, embodying the resistance against oppression, displacement and history. This physical burden mirrors the perseverance of Palestinians fighting against suppression. The collection combines cultural preservation with images of oppression, using distorted silhouettes inspired by photographs of Palestinians under occupation. These design choices make oppression visible, ensuring the struggle is not forgotten.
The restrictive fabrics speak to the feeling of being trapped under occupation, forcing wearers to experience the constraints placed on Palestinian bodies. Despite the focus on struggle, the collection’s message is one of empowerment and unity. What Should Have Been Home fosters collective strength by weaving Palestinian history, culture and resistance into its designs. The refugee women’s craftsmanship ensures Palestinian stories are not only told but worn and remembered.
The coin piece represents unity, stitched together by displaced hands, reflecting the collective struggle of the Palestinian people. It reminds us that, despite fragmentation, Palestinian identity remains whole, stitched together through memory, art and resistance. The global reception of the collection highlights fashion’s role in fostering solidarity beyond borders. What Should Have Been Home challenges narratives that erase Palestinian voices, using fashion as a vehicle for dialogue. The garments become conversation starters, compelling people to confront the realities of displacement, occupation and resilience.
As the figure moves, cloaked in the weight of history, they do not falter. The coins, heavy with memory, propel them forwards. The garment becomes a declaration: even under the weight of the past, one can still rise and carry stories that refuse to be forgotten. The sound of metal against metal becomes a symphony of resilience – a song of defiance sung through generations.
In a world where fashion is often trivialised, What Should Have Been Home forces us to rethink its role as something far more significant than clothing. Nazzal Studio’s coin-laden pieces are more than just garments – they are poignant narratives of struggle, resilience and identity woven into every thread. Each stitch [DNC2] becomes a testament to endurance, a shield forged from loss and defiance. The figure cloaked in silver does not simply wear the past; they carry it, live it and fight for it. In this garment fashion is a reflection of identity, a rebellion and a story of resilience stitched into the very fabric of existence. This story that cannot be silenced or erased and will always endure.
